


Family Gatherings

by DizzIzzi



Series: Fire Emblem IF: Fates Rewoven [8]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Awkening Three being parents, Best Friends, Family Feels, Gen, Old Friends, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Retelling Awakening but to children, Slice of Life, Sunshine and Rainbows!, cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-05 17:17:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18833173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzIzzi/pseuds/DizzIzzi
Summary: They stuck through thick and thin, through blood and dragons, nothing can separate them.  But with life as it is...  They decided some quality time with each other watching the kids would be a good ideaA small scene about the best kind of family, the kind you choose.





	Family Gatherings

**Author's Note:**

> This is a side story connected to my larger work, Fire Emblem: Fates Rewoven. I love kids, like, a lot. My mom and grandma were both preschool teachers for years and one of the first things I remember getting is a baby doll to take care of, my parents taught me how to hold them correctly from the start. Having the Awakening Three totally be siblings babysitting for their significant others and reminiscing about "that one time when Aunt Lissa..." gives me all the feels. Also, Selena is totally an awkward lesbian and I love her.
> 
> Sunshine and Rainbows are imminent

“Daaaaaaaaaddy!  Ophi switched bodies agaaaaaain!”

 

  The small, one and a half story rowhouse is a cacophony of children—noise and running and pulling hair.  The three very old friends, slumped across their table, turn towards the cause of the latest commotion.  A young girl—just over five years of age—with gold hair is wearing a look of pure sisterly petulance; her round face scrunched up, checks red and pretty, but her lips quivering with barely chained fury.  They all know what happened “Oh I’m sorry sweetie, that’s awful.”  The grey-haired man tells the child “Odin?”  The scruffy blond lifts himself up off his chair and turns towards his older daughter in his younger daughter’s body  

    “Alright Chosen One, let’s go!”

 

  The third member of the merry trio, head parallel to the table, raises her eyes to meet the remaining adult as Odin bounds into the next room

    “Laslow, why is having kids so rough?”  Her companion chuckles

        “Selena, my dear, I haven’t the faintest idea…”  

 

  Any further rumblings along this line are cut off as a great banging begins from within the next room—the two veteran soldiers on their feet in moments and rushing, hands grasping for absent weapons.  Scrambling into the living room the cause of the noise becomes apparent: Odin has his daughters in each of his arms and is rolling around with them, laughing and screaming the whole time—the breaths released are earth shattering as untold muscles relax in unison.  Selena moves back to the table with speed but Laslow takes a long moment to gaze at the scene before him; children playing, not fighting for their lives but playing gayly together, like nothing was ever wrong in this messed up world.

  When he returns to the table Selena notices the shimmering wetness staining his cheeks.  They all feel the same, each of them left parentless and forced to fight for survival for so long.  The redhead lets out a huge huff

    “Jeez, they are _so_ noisy!  I swear, his kids are gonna be the death of me!”

        “You know you love it,”  Lasow chides, “Being an aunt suits you, you know, and the kids adore you.  If I didn’t know any better, I would say find a man, settle down, and raise some kids of your own.” His wink is joking, knowing, and the fiery woman glares at him

    “I am NOT having kids!  Like, don’t get me wrong, having kids is fine and all for other people but they are NOT for me.”  She shakes her head emphatically “Nu uh, nope, not a chance.”

 

  The steel-haired soldier breaks out in laughter, his long-time companion rains a flurry of blows in his direction in response.  “What’s so funny, huh?”  Her face scrunched up in petulant fury “Tell me!”  Between his laughs Laslow manages

    “Nah. I don’t think so.”

        “Inigo, I swear I’m gonna call Morgan-”

 

  They stop short, a memory pulled out of their long ago past, brought up after going years without acknowledging it.  A careless sentence, an unthinking threat, dragging up remembrances of companions—of family—far, far away.  “Shit.”  Selena breathes out as the floodgates come crashing down after so long of holding everything back.  They sink together back into their seats, their tears reflected on the other like a mirror.

  Names, faces, memories of a time long ago in a far-off land—their defiance the last, spluttering candle of a dying world.  Treasured reminders of meeting their parents from another time, fighting for the sake of their new home, seeing their parallel selves be born and grow, living the quiet life until the three of them left to fight another war in another world.  They are alone, in a way, three strangers in a strange land with only each other to remind themselves who they really are.  Names change, people change, even memory changes, but as long as the three of them have each other they will survive, somehow.

    “I miss them, Severa.”  Inigo is the first to break the silence.

        “Me too”  Selena—Severa—wipes her hand over her eyes and sniffs  “I miss them so much.”

    “I wonder how Morgan’s doing…  Do you think she got her memories back yet?”

        “Pssh, her?!”  Severa seems aghast “Gawds, if she got her memories back then Luci’s learned how to live a little!”

    “Or Yarne’s stopped being a scaredy cat!”

        "Yeah, or-or-"

 

  They break out into laughing spasms—crying and giggling like they were drunk and been told a funny joke.  Both grasp the other by the shoulders and crash into a vice-grip hug, as if each were sailors clinging to their salvation in a storm.  Odin returns, a child under each arm, to the scene of some of his oldest friends breaking out into hysterical fits.  He puts his children down—both now in their proper bodies—and moves to see what could be wrong.  “Daddy, are Uncle Laslow and Aunt Selena ok?”  It’s Ophelia, tugging on her father’s cape, and Selena jerks back into the present to respond before he can.

    “It’s ok Ophelia, your Aunt and Uncle were just talking about some friends of ours.  We were remembering some funny stories.”  Her eyes meet Odin’s meaningfully

        “Oho!  Well then, Chosen Ones, I have a story for you!”  He stretches his limber body out dramatically before either child can probe deeper “Long, long ago in a faraway land, your father—Chosen by the Gods to save his world—lived with his cousin.  She was a wise and beautiful leader, deadly with her holy sword and with the eyes of a hawk.”  Ophelia interrupts excitedly

            “What was her name?”

        “Her name, little one, is Lucina.  And she is the most powerful fighter I know.”

            “Even more so than you Daddy?”

        “Yes” He chuckles, eyes looking far, far away “Even more than me.”  With a breath and the expanding of his chest, his narration begins anew “Lucina, with your father by her side, fought vile monsters and devil dragons to free the world from destruction!  She gathered an army of those like her—like your Aunt and Uncle—and together we stood against Evil to save the very world!  We fought a terrible battle that lasted for days, our shining army against the forces of the darkness, and inch by inch we pushed ever onward towards our goal—the Fell Dragon.”

            “What happened Daddy?  What happened?!”  Ophelia’s eyes are wide in rapt attention, even Nina’s feigned disinterest gives way to honest curiosity.

        “Well”  He flashes his hand theatrically, sparks of fire like fireworks giving texture to his words “In a climactic battle on the very back of the Dragon herself our leader did battle with the Avatar of the Fell Dragon”  Nina cuts him off

            “What’s an ‘Avatar’?”

        “Hmm, how to explain...”  Now it’s Laslow’s turn to speak

    “An Avatar is the body of a powerful being.  Think of it like Ophelia putting herself in your body, Nina.  If she were a super-powerful evil being then her taking over your body would make you her Avatar.”  

 

  Ophelia stares blankly ahead.  Nina, however, cringes at the mention of her sister’s antics but seems to think about it seriously for a second.

    “I…  Think I get it?”  

        Laslow laughs “It’s ok.  Your Aunt and Uncle didn’t get it either when he first said it and we’re adults.”  

 

  The two girls giggle at his admission and shoot glances towards their father, he rolls his eyes at them which causes the sisters to burst with hilarity.  The scruffy mage growls in his throaty tones as he reaches for his precious daughters, snatching them up in each arm and swinging them.  He zooms around the room, bringing joy into the hearts of everyone present.  The past deflected, the three friends let out an inner breath, the hard talk put off for another day once again.

  From down the hall a wailing starts, the latest member of this motley family making her presence known.  Laslow sighs and gets up to go retrieve his infant daughter, chuckling at everything going on around him.  The only one left is Selena, seated at the table turned eye of the storm, watching the madness unfold around her.  Something tugs on her heartstrings, a warm, gentle pull that promises things she’s never truly felt since she was very young—family.  In a small part of her mind it scares her, fears that one day she will lose it all, lose everything that ever mattered to her and all she will be is afraid and alone again.  

  Right now, however, that terror can’t find its way into her conscious mind as the crying Soleil is brought into the room by Laslow, wrapped up comfortingly in her blanket and his warm arms.  The baby goes quiet upon seeing Selena and suddenly the whole world becomes bright, her tiny smile lights up the whole room and washes away any thoughts from the old soldier’s mind except thanking Naga for such happiness.

 

**Author's Note:**

> It is done, I have released it...  
> Gotta love cute family stuff, I know I do.
> 
> Your Author  
> -Izzi


End file.
